Joel Embiid may be considered one of the premiere NBA players of his generation, but the Cameroon-born athlete might have a larger passion than basketball: soccer. The Sixers superstar has not been shy of his love of the game, particularly the popular club Arsenal. How long has Embiid been a soccer fan? Ever since he was a child.
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Embiid’s love of Arsenal is easy to understand. He once told Sports Illustrated that “I’ve always been big on French people, and they’ve always had a lot of French players.” Despite that fanhood, in 2024 he appeared in a post on the official Real Madrid Instagram account, and revealed that he loved that club as well.
“I’ve been supporting Madrid since I was born,” the 2023 MVP winner revealed. Well, his other favorite squad was in action earlier today. They had an epic battle against Atletico Madrid, and pulled off the big win in a penalty shootout 4-2. Embiid was ecstatic for the dub, and took to X to further express his joy.
“HALA MADRID!!! HALA MADRID!!!! VAMOS,” the 30-year-old NBA star wrote.
HALA MADRID!!! HALA MADRID!!!! VAMOS
— Joel Embiid (@JoelEmbiid) March 12, 2025
The victory was Real Madrid’s 17th of the season, bringing them to a total of 57 points. They are now tied in points with the division leader, Barcelona.
It’s refreshing to see Embiid express his passion so clearly given that he was hit with a freight train of poor injury luck and criticism this season.
Embiid is not the first NBA player to go public about his love of soccer
NBA players loving soccer is not a new trend. As the league grew internationally, so did the diversity of basketball players on the court. A lot of those guys had a dedicated passion to soccer, similarly to basketball.
Steve Nash is a well-documented Tottenham Spurs supporter. “My dad grew up in Tottenham and so did my dad’s dad…My whole family is Tottenham fans,” Nash once told Sports Illustrated.
A more contemporary example would be Luka Doncic. The Don, like Embiid, also loves Real Madrid. Maverick fans are probably losing sleep knowing that Doncic is enjoying a beer and a hookah smoke while watching the game from his new home in Los Angeles.
